13 Career Experts Share Tips on How to Achieve Your Career Goals

How big are your career goals?

I know that you must have set great career goals that you would love to achieve over a period of time. We all have different ambitions and expectations from our career, but it is one thing to set a career goal it is another thing to actually achieve those goals.

Everybody wants to achieve the goals that they set, but sometimes they just find themselves at the cross-road confused about the next thing to do. I guess you must have found yourself at the point of confusion somewhere in your career, but that’s shouldn’t be a problem, and that’s because we are here.

To help you clear some doubts and achieve your career goals faster, we spoke with 13 career experts who have decided to share tips on how to achieve your career goals in 2019.

To achieve your career goals, you want to first have a career plan that includes where you envision yourself in the next 5 years and 10 years. Ask yourself what industry you want to be in, the targeted company you want to work for, and the company culture you best identify with. Once you map out your plan, this will enable you to begin aligning your goals with action such as creating your personal brand and building a powerful network.

Always remember, your career success is up to you and no one else. Don’t let others steer your career. Take control by building and maintaining an active career management plan that outlines where you want to go and how you plan to get there. Drive your career in the direction you want it to go by keeping track of successes, actively learning new skills, speaking up for yourself, and following through on plans. Invest in yourself; you are worth it.

#1. Always, always believe yourself and who you aspire to be when it comes to achieving your dreams. I think we get so caught up in our past, challenges, self-doubt, and all sorts of negativity that we forget to just believe in ourselves and what is possible for our lives.

#2. I would ask yourself what energizes you and what would you do if you could not get paid? Asking yourself this question will help to push you towards setting out on a career that really connects with your purpose and who you aspire to be.

#3. From there, I would say create vision board around your goals and where you hope to be so that you can really picture it into fruition. This will really set the pace of making that dream of yours come true!

Never put anyone else in charge of your career. This is YOUR career. Just like you wouldn't outsource your health or love life -- - you're the captain of your career ship and you can make anything happen. Bad boss? Bad company? Change it up. There's always a new place to go.

Discern between your must-haves and nice-to-haves: it's important to focus on finding a career that takes care of the things you absolutely need to be fulfilled at work, while being very flexible when it comes to the rest. Do you need to work with people? Do you get bored when your work is too detail oriented? Do you feel satisfied only when your work contributes towards a higher purpose?

Take some time to become more aware of what helps you to thrive, and go for it! And be open to however it shows up.

Given the fact that it is a challenge for most of us to visualize how we will feel when we will achieve our goals- I have changed my approach at coaching to include another question. The question I now ask is one that Tim Ferriss, the best-selling author of: The 4-Hour Workweek, suggests that you ask yourself in thinking about your ideal life. In a process he calls: “Dreamlining,” Mr. Ferriss suggests that you ask yourself the question “What excites me?”

Take the long view of things; your career is a marathon, not a sprint. It should take you decades to figure out the intersection of what makes you fulfilled, what skills are higher in demand, and what people have the money to have you do those tasks for them. It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind and lose sight of the journey of self-discovery you are on. If anything, lose sight of the destination; you will never arrive at this false, future ideal state. Keep moving forward, adapting, iterating your career. Never expect to get to a place where you can coast. Diversify your income streams (employee, contract, eCommerce, etc.) While that may sound scary, it's quite exciting (if you embrace it) to continually learn new things and adapt those skills to the ever changing marketplace.

To achieve your goals, first you have to set them! Many people go through their careers accepting whatever falls into their lap, rather than thinking about where they want their career to go. Once you've set the goals, figure out what skills or training you need to get there. Then, go for it!

If you’re not happy in your career right now, remember it’s never too late to pursue purpose. It doesn’t have to mean creating a big company or inventing something that will change the world. It might mean working for a company with a strong mission that you identify with, or working with clients to improve processes.

Changing careers (if that’s what you want) doesn’t happen overnight. Think about what you’ve accomplished and think about situations where you’ve felt the most engaged and motivated and aim to do more of that where you are at the moment.

You have to understand what fuels you and what matters most to you. If you value contribution, for example, find purpose by looking for ways you can contribute to a group, deliver above expectations or add value to a local community.

If your career isn’t working, you’ve got to have the courage to keep searching for something that does - life is too short."

Do something! So many people get stuck in their careers and find they are immobilized by fear of doing the wrong thing or making the wrong choice. Rather than fearing failure, look at learning about yourself and various careers as a win. If you realize you don't want to pursue a career after an experience talking to someone, volunteering, or job shadowing, that is positive! You can cross it off your list and focus on something else that fits better. It’s okay to be scared, but don’t let it stop you. Try anyway. Do something, and see what happens next!

1. Define clear goals and measure your progress. I've worked with a lot of people who haven't clearly defined what they want out of life and their careers. Therefore it's no surprise when they don't end up in a situation they love. It's worth taking a day to go write down how you'd like your life and career to look. After that, you can lay out the steps to get there, but most people skip that important first step of thinking about exactly where they want to end up.

2. After step #1 above, break your bigger goals down into smaller pieces. Which tasks can you do this week, this month, and this quarter to get closer to your long-term goals? This will help break big challenges into small, manageable pieces that you can take immediate action on.

I believe the best way to achieve your career goals is make sure you are doing something you are passionate about and guided to do. If we tap into our intuition, achieving our goals can be easy. Be clear on what your goals or intentions are. Then, ask yourself each morning, "What is the one best thing I can do today to move me towards my goals?" Then listen to the "whispers" in your mind. Listen to your inner guidance. Then take inspired action.

One of the biggest challenges in achieving a career goal is knowing the exact step to take to land at that point. Sometimes you may not be able to see things so clearly, but learning and taking advice from others can bring you closer to the point.If you are looking for career experts to learn more form, then you can check out this amazing post where we listed the top career experts to follow on twitter.

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